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August, 1878.]
SANSKRIT AND OLD CANARESE INSCRIPTIONS.
135
SANSKRIT AND OLD CANARESE INSCRIPTIONS.
BY J. F. FLEET, Bo. C.S., M.R.A.S.
(Continued from p. 161.) No. XLII.
formity with the custom of the Chalu ky a s, AT p. 15 of the present volume, I gave a Mangaliśvara assumed the government
copper-plate grant of the Eastern Cha- only because Pulike si II. was of too tender lukya dynasty. I understood, at that time, that years to be recognized as king at the death of this dynasty had been noticed in print only by Kirttivarma I., and that he voluntarily Dr. Burnell in his South-Indian Palmography. restored the throne to Pulike si II., as soon But I now find that an earlier account of it by as the latter became of mature age. Whatever Sir Walter Elliot is to be found in his second may be the circumstances under which Maipaper on Numismatic Gleanings at Madr. Jour. galiśvara succeeded, -whether as a usurper, of Lit. and Sc., N. S., Vol. IV, p. 75.
or as regent,--the facts that he, by the Badami I find, also, that the first of two copper-plate
inscription at Vol. VI., p. 363, succeeded in grants published by Bal Gangadhar Sastri at Saka 488 or 489, and that Pulik ési II. (by Jour. Bo. Br. R. As. Soc., Vol. II., p. 1, is a grant No. XXVII. of this series at Vol. VI., p. 72) of the founder of this dynasty, Vishņu var. did not succeed till Saka 531 or 532, and (by dhana I., or Kubja-VishŅuvardhana, the Aiho!e inscription) was still reigning in or, as he is named on the seal of the grant, Saka 556, show,-1, that Pulikêsî II. must Sri-Bittara sa, i.e. the king Sri-Bitta certainly have been of very tender years at the or Bitti. It deduces his genealogy from his death of Kirttivarma I., and, -2, that, grandfather Raņa vikrama,--the Puli- consequently, Vis hņu vardhana I., being kési I. of the Aihole inscription at Vol. V., his younger brother, must have been a mere p. 67, and his father, Kirttivarma I. infant at that same time, and cannot have The donor is Vishnuvardhana. But beon installed as Yuvardja. I would therefore he is only styled Yuvarája; and the grant hold,-1, that the formal separation of the is dated on the day of the full-moon of the Western and the Eastern branches took place month Karttika in the eighth year of the at some time after the accession of Pulike si reign of the Maharaja, and without any re- II., and also after the date of this grant; 2, ference to the Saka era. The Maharaja must that the Maharaja of the grant now noticed be Kirttivarma I., or Mangalis- is Pulike si II., though he is not mentioned vara, or Pulike si II. If it is Kirtti- in the genealogy; and 3, that, in accordance with varma I., the inference would be that the this, the date of the grant is Saka 539 (A.D. 617-8) formal division of the Chaluky a kingdom or 540. The full titles of Vishnuvar. into the Western and Eastern territories was dhana I. in this grant are Sri-prithivivallabha, carried out before the death of Kirtti- or favourite of the world'; Yuvardja; and varma, and that his youngest son, Vishnu- Vishamasiddhi, or he who is successful under vardhana I., was his Yuvarája for the East- difficulties.' The last was adopted as one of the ern division. This inference might be drawn standard mottoes of the Eastern Chaluk yas, without necessitating any conflict with the and appears on the seals of some of the grants statement of the Aihole inscription that Man- of subsequent kings of that dynasty. galiśvara became king on the death of Kirt. Another copper-plate grant of Vishnu var. tivarma, and that the succession after- dhana I. is given as Plate xxiv. of Dr. Burnell's wards went back to Pulik 8 41 II., the son South-Indian Palæography. The only other of Kirttivarma, because he was preferred name mentioned in this grant is that of his elder by the people to the unnamed son whom brother Satyasraya, i.e. Pulik ési II. Mangaliśvara destined to succeed himself. An explanation of the title Vishamasiddhi is But it is hardly compatible with the state given in l. 3, in the words sthala-jala-pana-giriment of the Yêwûr inscription that, in con- vishama-durggéshu labdha-siddhityád=Vishama
I shall shortly explain my reasons for altering my reading of the date of the Aihose inscription from " when Sake 506 had expired" to " when Saka 556 had expired."
